Dampened railway truck

ABSTRACT

A railway truck having a dampened bolster which at its ends is provided with triangular pockets into which wedge-shaped friction blocks fit. The inner end of each pocket is defined by an inclined backing wall which connects the top and bottom walls at the bolster end. A hardened wear plate is positioned against the backing wall and has a tab at its lower end which turns inwardly along the bottom wall of the bolster end. The tab is fastened to the bottom wall to secure the wear plate in place.

United States Patent Wallace [15] 3,654,871 [4 1 Apr. 11, 1972 [54] DAMPENED RAILWAY TRUCK [72] Inventor: George 0. Wallace, St. Louis, Mo.

[73] Assignee: Scullin Steel Company, St. Louis, Mo.

[22] Filed: May 4, 1970 [2]] Appl. No.: 34,326

[52] US. Cl. ..105/197 DB, 105/226 [51] lnt.Cl ....B6lf5/06, B61f5/12, B61f5/50 [58] Field of Search 105/197 D, 197 DB, 207, 224, 105/226 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,129,408 9/1938 Davidson ..105/197 DB 2,277,263 3/1942 Tucker ..105/197 DB 2,697,406 12/1954 Heater et al. ..105/197 DB 3,461,815 8/1969 Gedris et al. ..105/197 DB 3,342,139 9/1967 Tack ..105/197 DB 1,377,703 5/1921 Lamont ..105/224 2,366,973 l/l945 Light ..lOS/l97 D Primary Examiner-Arthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner- Howard Beltran AttorneyGravely, Lieder & Woodruff [57] ABSTRACT A railway truck having a dampened bolster which at its ends is provided with triangular pockets into which wedge-shaped friction blocks fit. The inner end of each pocket is defined by an inclined backing wall which connects the top and bottom walls at the bolster end. A hardened wear plate is positioned against the backing wall and has a tab at its lower end which turns inwardly along the bottom wall of the bolster end. The tab is fastened to the bottom wall to secure the wear plate in place.

12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTE APR 1 1 I972 SHEET 1 UF 2 4 Tiw/i FIG.

INVENTOR GEORGE O. WALLACE DAMPENED RAILWAY TRUCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to railway trucks and more particularly railway truck bolsters of the snubbed variety.

Railway trucks having snubbed bolster ends, more commonly known as Barber stabilized trucks, employ a pair of wedge shaped friction castings between the side surfaces of the bolster ends and the opposing surfaces on the side frames. Those castings are urged upwardly by springs so that they fit snugly between bolster ends and the corresponding side frames for snubbing the bolster ends. This in turn, helps the truck suspension system resist bottoming out and furthermore damps oscillations.

In Barber stabilized trucks of current manufacture, the wedge shaped friction castings fit into friction pockets in the bolster ends and therein bear against inclined wear surfaces which form an integral part of the bolster casting. Since considerable friction is generated at the engaged wear surfaces on the bolster ends and friction blocks, both the bolster and friction blocks in time wear out at those surfaces. While the friction blocks are relatively small castings and are easily replaced at little expense, the truck bolster is not. On the contrary, truck bolsters are large and relatively complex castings which are only replaced at considerable expense.

The foregoing problem is particularly acute where abnormal wear occurs such as on some unit trains and other equipment which is subjected to high mileage service.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is embodied in a railway truck which may be used for extremely long periods of service without replacing major components thereof such as the bolster. Another object is to provide a snubbed railway truck having replaceable wear plates at its bolster ends for engaging the friction blocks at those ends. A further object is to provide a truck of the type stated which utilizes conventional friction blocks, side frames, and springs. An additional object is to provide a bolster which is suitable for unit trains and other equipment subjected to high mileage service. These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The present invention is embodied in a bolster having ends provided with an inclined wall and a generally horizontal wall. A wear plate is positioned against the inclined wall and has a tab which extends along the horizontal wall. The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a railway truck provided with a bolster constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken along line 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a wear plate forming part of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view similar to FIG. 4, but showing a modified bolster construction;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 77 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the wear plate used on the bolster of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings, 2 designates a railway truck which broadly speaking includes (FIG. 1) a bolster 4, a pair of side frames 6 (one being shown), a set of bolster supporting springs 8 on the side frame 6, and flanged truck wheels 10 (one being shown) supporting the ends of the side frames 6.

Each side frame 6 (FIG. 1) is of the conventional truss variety and has pedestal end 12 provided with downwardly extending jaws 14 into which bearing assemblies 16 are fitted. The bearing assemblies 16 in turn journal the ends of axles forming part of the wheel sets 10. In the side frame 6, the pedestal ends 12 are joined through an upper compression member 20, as well as through a pair of oblique tension members 22 interconnected by a lower tension member 24, the latter being located directly below the center portion of the upper compression member 20. The tension member 24 and compression member 20 are connected by a pair of columns 26, thus fomiing a bolster window 28 in the side frame 6.

The sides of the window 28 are defined in part by vertical wear plates 30 (FIGS. 3) which are attached to the columns 26 by conventional railway lock bolts 32 or by welds.

Cast integral with the lower tension member 24 is a spring seat 34 (Figs. 1 and 2) having spring retainer lugs 36projecting upwardly from it. The spring seat 34 furnishes subjacent support for the springs 8 of the spring set, the individual springs of which are restrained at their lower ends by the spring retainer lugs 36.

The bolster 4 has an enlarged center portion 38 (Fig. 2) upon which the railway car body rests, and reduced bolster ends 40 which project through the bolster windows 28 of the side frames 6. Each bolster end 40 rests upon a spring set so that bolster 4 is spring suspended on the side frames 6.

Both the center portion 38 and the bolster ends 44 are cast integral to one another and for the most part are hollow. Yet they contain numerous integrally cast ribs, fillets, gussets, and the like for imparting strength to the entire bolster 4. The hollow portion of the bolster 4 is formed in the conventional manner, that is by supporting cores within a mold and pouring the metal in the voids between the cores and mold. The cores are of course held in place by core supports extending from the mold and these supports leave various outwardly opening holes in the final casting, that is in the bolster 4. Two of these holes are in each bolster end 40.

Referring now to the bolster ends 40, each includes (Figs. 2-4) a top wall 42, a bottom 44, and a pair of side walls 46 interconnecting the top and bottom walls 42 and 44. The bottom wall 44 forms a spring seat which rests upon the springs 8 and has retainer lugs 48 projecting downwardly therefrom for confining the upper ends of the springs 8 in the spring set.

Adjacent to the wear plate 30 on the side frame columns 26 each bolster end 40 is provided with a pair of triangular pockets 50 (Fig. 4) and these pockets are defined at their ends by backing walls 52 set inwardly from the side walls 46 and at their sides by parallel guide walls 54 (Fig. 2). The backing walls 52 are inclined relative to the top and bottom walls 42 and 44, whereas the guide walls 54 are perpendicular to the top and bottom walls 42 and 44 as well as to the side walls 46 and backing walls 52 into which they merge. Each backing wall 52 at its upper end continues beyond the upper surface of the top wall 42 in the provision of a lip 56, the outer surface of which is set slightly inwardly from the plane defined by the outwardly presented face of the adjacent side wall 46. The top and bottom walls 42 and 44 are further connected by a center rib 58, and on each side of the rib 58 the top wall 42 is provided with an aperture 60 (Figs. 3 and 4) which opens into the hollow interior of the bolster end 40. During the casting of the bolster 4 core supports occupy the apertures 60 and these core supports hold and position the core for creating the hollow interior of the bolster ends 40.

As previously noted, lugs 48 project from the bottom wall 44 for confining the upper ends of the springs in the spring set 8. Two of the lugs 48 are positioned at the bases of the backing walls 52 (Figs. 3 and 4) and are furthermore centered at the lower ends of those backing walls. On each side of the lugs 48 the bottom wall 44 is provided with a recess 62 (Fig. 4) which opens both downwardly out of the bottom wall 44 and laterally out of the lower end of the backing wall 52.

Positioned against the outwardly presented surface of each backing wall 52 is a wear plate 64 (Figs. 4 and 5) formed from a steel which is considerably harder than the steel from which the bolster 4 is cast. The wear plate 64 extends completely across the backing wall 52 and in a vertical direction extends from the top of the lip 56 to the recesses 62 located in the bottom wall 44 and having downwardly presented seating surfaces. At its lower end the wear plate 64 is provided with a pair of connecting tabs 66 (Fig. which are presented at an angle to the remainder of the wear plate 64 and are separated by a notch 68. The tabs 66 are positioned to register with and are sized and configured to fit into the recesses 62, in which case they lie against the seating surfaces in the recesses 62. The notch 68 provides clearance at the lower end of the wear plate 64 for accommodating the spring retainer lug 48 located between the recesses 62. The wear plate 64 is secured to the bolster end 40 by welds 70 and 72, the former of which is located between the upper ends of the plate 64 and lip 56, while the latter are located between the ends of the tabs 66 and the corresponding ends of the recesses 62 into which those tabs are fitted. The outwardly presented faces of the wear plates 64 constitute wear surfaces and are positioned facing the wear plates 30 on the columns 26 of the-side frame 6, the pocket 50 being interposed between the opposed plates 30 and 64.

Each pocket 50 contains a wedge-shaped friction block 74 (Fig. 4) which like the bolster 4 is also a casting. The block 74 has a pair of angularly related wear surfaces 76 and 78, and the angle between those surfaces equals the angle between the wear plates 30 and 64. The wear surfaces 76 and 78 furthermore bear against the wear plates 30 and 64, respectively, and indeed are forced into snug abutment with the wear plates 30 and 64 by a side spring 80 which extends between the spring seat 34 and the lower end of the friction block 74. To retain the spring 80 in engagement with the block 74, the block 74 at its bottom is provided with a cylindrical boss 82 which fits into the upper end of the spring 80. 1

Each spring loaded block 74, due to its wedge-shaped configuration fits snugly between the wear plates 30 and 64 on the side frame 6 and bolster 4, respectively, and has a snubbing effect on the bolster 4. Thus, the springs 8 do not easily bottom out under heavy loads or on rough roadbeds, and moreover oscillations are damped considerably.

The wear plates 64, being considerably harder than the cast portion of the bolster 4, do not wear rapidly and therefore prolong the life of the bolster 4 to a considerable extent. On the other hand, the friction blocks 74, at their wear surfaces 76 and 78, will wear much faster than the wear plates 30 and 64, but the friction blocks 74 are relatively simple and inexpensive castings and furthermore are easily replaced without disassembling the entire truck 2.

When the wear plates 64 eventually do wear out they may be replaced by new wear plates 64. This involves disassembling the truck 2, breaking the welds 70 and 72, and fitting new wear plates 64 against backing walls 52. The new plates 64, like the old plates 64, are held in place by welds 70 and 72. Thus, when the truck 2 becomes unserviceable due to extreme wear at the wear plates 64, the entire bolster 4 need not be scrapped, but only the wear plates 64 need be replaced. The cost of replacing four wear plates 64 is considerably less than the cost of a complex bolster casting, and this results in a sizeable saving to the railroad utilizing the truck 2.

It is possible to provide a modified bolster 100 (Figs. 6-8) which is very similar to the bolster 4 and is installed in the side frame 6 and supported by the spring sets 8 in the same manner. The bolster 100 has bolster ends 102, each comprising a top wall 104, a bottom wall 106, side walls 108, backing walls 110, guide walls 112, and a center rib 114. Each backing wall 110 continues beyond the top wall 104 in the provision of a lip 116, and directly inwardly from the lips 116 the top wall 104 is provided with apertures 118 which open into and provide access to the hollow interior of the bolster end 102 on each side of the center rib 114. During the casting operation by which the bolster 100 was formed, core supports occupied the apertures 118.

The bottom wall 106 has a spring retaining lug 119 projecting downwardly therefrom at the base of each backing wall and those lugs 119 are centered with respect to the backing walls above them. Directly above the lugs the backing walls 110 are provided with cutouts 120 which open into the hollow interior of the bolster end 102. In this connection, it should be noted that the upper surface of the bottom wall 106 continues through the cutouts 120. Immediately inwardly from the spring retainer lugs 119 the bottom wall 106 has countersunk holes 122 which likewise open into the interior of the bolster end 102 on each side of the center rib l 14 and are located directly below the apertures 118 in the top wall 104.

Positioned against each backing wall 110 is a wear plate 124 which extends upwardly from the upper surface of the bottom wall to the top of the lip 116. The wear plate 124 further extends completely across the inclined backing wall 110 from one guide wall 112 to the other. At its lower end the wear plate 124 is provided with a tab 126 (Fig. 8) which extends into the cutout 120 and along the upper surface of the bottom wall 106, which is in effect a seating surface, where it is provided'with an aperture 128 which registers with the countersunk hole 122 when the main portion of the wear plate 124 facewise abuts against the backing wall 110.

The registered hole 122 and aperture 128 receive a bolt 130 having a countersunk head which fits completely within the hole 122 leaving the lower surface on the bottom wall 106 unobstructed. The shank of the bolt 130 extends completely through aperture 128 in the tab 126 and beyond it the shank is fitted with a lock nut 132 which screws down against the tab 126, thereby firmly securing the tab 126 to the bottom wall 106. Access to the bolt shank and lock nut 132 is obtained through the aperture 118 located above it in the top wall 104.

The upper end of the wear plate 124 is fastened to the bolster end 102 by a weld 134 located between the upper edge of the lip 116 and the upper edge of the plate 124.

The friction surfaces 78 on the friction blocks 74 bear against the wear plate 124 just as they bear against the wear plates 64, and the bolster 100 is accordingly snubbed in the same manner.

When the hardened wear plates 124 finally wear out, they are easily replaced. This involves merely breaking the weld 134 and loosening the nut 132. The latter is accomplished by inserting a socket wrench through the aperture 118 and engaging the nut 132 with the socket thereof. Once the wear plate 124 is removed, it is replaced with a new one which is likewise held in place by another weld 134 and the bolt 130 and nut 132.

Consequently, the bolsters 4 and 100 are ideally suited for use in unit trains and other equipment subjected to high mileage service.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway truck including a bolster, a side frame having generally vertical columns which partially define a bolster window into which the end of the bolster projects, springs carried by the side frame and supporting the bolster at its ends, wedge-shaped friction blocks positioned adjacent to the columns, and additional springs urging the friction blocks upwardly; the improvement to the bolster end comprising generally vertical sidewalls spaced apart and located at the sides of the bolster end, a horizontal bottom wall interconnecting the sidewalls at their lower ends, the bottom wall being engaged with and resting on the springs which support the bolster and further having substantially planar seating surfaces which are accessible from the exterior of the bolster, inclined backing walls set inwardly from the sidewalls and converging toward the bottom wall so as to form generally triangular pockets in the bolster end for accommodating the wedge-shaped friction blocks, the sidewalls being interrupted generally at the side margins of the inclined backing walls and the bottom wall being interrupted generally along the bottom margins of the inclined backing walls so that the pockets open both laterally and downwardly from the bolster end, and wear plates positioned against the backing walls and having generally planar wear surfaces which are presented outwardly and engaged by the friction blocks, the wear plates further having tabs which project inwardly of the bolster end and are located completely inwardly from the planar wear surfaces so as not to interfere with the friction blocks, the tabs being positioned against the seating surfaces of the bottom wall and being secured to the bottom wall, whereby the plates are held against the backing walls.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the seating surfaces are presented downwardly and lie along the underside of the bottom wall.

3. A structure according to claim 2 wherein the bottom wall is provided with recesses in which the seating surfaces exist; and wherein the tabs fit into the recesses.

4. A structure according to claim 3 wherein the bottom wall below each backing wall has a spring retainer lug projecting downwardly therefrom; wherein the bottom wall has a pair of recesses on each side of leach lug; and wherein the wear plates have pairs of the tabs which fit into the recesses whereby the lugs are positioned between the tabs.

5. A structure according to claim 2 wherein the tabs are secured by welding to the bottom wall.

6. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the bottom wall below each backing wall has a spring retainer lug projecting downwardly therefrom; and wherein the wear plates have pairs of tabs which are spaced apart and extend along the sides of the lugs.

7. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the seating surfaces extends along the upwardly presented surface of the bottom wall.

8. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the bolster end is substantially hollow; wherein each backing wall is provided with a cutout adjacent to the bottom wall, and wherein the tabs extend into the cutouts and along the upwardly presented surface of the bottom wall.

9. A structure according to claim 8 wherein the upwardly presented surface of the bottom wall is substantially planar and remains planar through the cutouts.

10. A structure according to claim 8 wherein each tab is fastened to the bottom wall by a bolt which extends through the bottom wall and tab.

11. A structure according to claim 10 wherein a top wall connects with the backing wall above the bottom wall; wherein lips extend beyond the top wall at the backing walls; and wherein the upper ends of the wear plates are fastened to the lips.

12. A structure according to claim 10 wherein the bolster end includes a top wall connected to the backing wall and side walls above the bottom wall; and wherein the top wall has apertures located above the tabs, whereby access to the bolts is gained through the apertures in the top wall. 

1. In a railway truck including a bolster, a side frame having generally vertical columns which partially define a bolster window into which the end of the bolster projects, springs carried by the side frame and supporting the bolster at its ends, wedge-shaped friction blocks positioned adjacent to the columns, and additional springs urging the friction blocks upwardly; the improvement to the bolster end comprising generally vertical sidewalls spaced apart and located at the sides of the bolster end, a horizontal bottom wall interconnecting the sidewalls at their lower ends, the bottom wall being engaged with and resting on the springs which support the bolster and further having substantially planar seating surfaces which are accessible from the exterior of the bolster, inclined backing walls set inwardly from the sidewalls and converging toward the bottom wall so as to form generally triangular pockets in the bolster end for accommodating the wedge-shaped friction blocks, the sidewalls being interrupted generally at the side margins of the inclined backing walls and the bottom wall being interrupted generally along the bottom margins of the inclined backing walls so that the pockets open both laterally and downwardly from the bolster end, and wear plates positioned against the backing walls and having generally planar wear surfaces which are presented outwardly and engaged by the friction blocks, the wear plates further having tabs which project inwardly of the bolster end and are located completely inwardly from the planar wear surfaces so as not to interfere with the friction blocks, the tabs being positioned against the seating surfaces of the bottom wall and being secured to the bottom wall, whereby the plates are held against the backing walls.
 2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the seating surfaces are presented downwardly and lie along the underside of the bottom wall.
 3. A structure according to claim 2 wherein the bottom wall is provided with recesses in which the seating surfaces exist; and wherein the tabs fit into the recesses.
 4. A structure according to claim 3 wherein the bottom wall below each backing wall has a spring retainer lug projecting downwardly therefrom; wherein the bottom wall has a pair of recesses on each side of leach lug; and wherein the wear plates have pairs of the tabs which fit into the recesses whereby the lugs are positioned between the tabs.
 5. A structure according to claim 2 wherein the tabs are secured by welding to the bottom wall.
 6. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the bottom wall below each backing wall has a spring retainer lug projecting downwardly therefrom; and wherein the wear plates have pairs of tabs which are spaced apart and extend along the sides of the lugs.
 7. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the seating surfaces extends along the upwardly presented surface of the bottom wall.
 8. A structure according to claim 1 wherein the bolster end is substantially hollow; wherein each backing wall is provided with a cutout adjacent to the bottom wall, and wherein the tabs extend into the cutouts and along the upwardly presented surface of the bottom wall.
 9. A structure according to claim 8 wherein the upwardly presented surface of the bottom wall is substantially planar and remains planar through the cutouts.
 10. A structure according to claim 8 wherein each tab is fastened to the bottom Wall by a bolt which extends through the bottom wall and tab.
 11. A structure according to claim 10 wherein a top wall connects with the backing wall above the bottom wall; wherein lips extend beyond the top wall at the backing walls; and wherein the upper ends of the wear plates are fastened to the lips.
 12. A structure according to claim 10 wherein the bolster end includes a top wall connected to the backing wall and side walls above the bottom wall; and wherein the top wall has apertures located above the tabs, whereby access to the bolts is gained through the apertures in the top wall. 